Combined stalk-cutter



-.G. Wf. TUCKER. COMBINED STAL-K GUTTEREOLLEB.', AND SEED PIMQLNIIER.l

(No Model.)

No. 5.14522. Patented Feb. 13, 1894."

vill? @Lgif- Nrrsn STATES ATENT lrrrcn.

GEORGE W. TUCKER, OF MOBERLY, MISSOURI.

COMBI N ED STALK-CUTTER, ROLLER, AN D SEED- PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,522, dated February13, 1894. A Application tiled May 18, 1893. Serial No. 474.636. (Nomodel.)

To @El whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. TUCKER, of Moberly,Randolph county,Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined'Stalk-Cutter, Roller, and Seed-Planter, of which the followingis a fu1l,`clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in combined stalk-cutters, rollersand seed planters; and the object oi my invention is to providea'machine ot' this character which will effectively do the workrequired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine, in which, bythe operation of a lever the corn planting portion of theapparatus maybe raised from the ground, so as to avoid stumps of trees, stones, andother irregularities in the surface of the ground which would tend toinjure the working parts of the machine, and furthermore to produce amachine of this character which is simple, strong, durable andcomparatively inexpensive of construction.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain peculiar andnovel features of construction and arrangement as will be hereinafterdescribed and pointed ont in the claims.

In order that my invention .may be fully understood, I will proceed todescribeit with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure1, represents a plan View of the machine constructed in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2, represents a vertical sectional view taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, represents a vertical sectional view of oneof the wheels, adapted to furrow the ground for the reception of thecorn. Fig. 4, is a detail perspective view of the lower or discharge endof the seed-receptacles, and showing carried thereby the clod Crusher,and cover. Fig. 5, is a vertical section of a portion of one of saidfeed receptacles and showing the sliding plate by which said seed isallowed to drop into the furrow from the seedreceptacle.

In the drawings, 1 designates the wheelsot` the machine which arejournaled to revolve upon opposite ends of the axle 2, said axle beingbent upwardly at its center to form the U-shaped extension 3. Each ofthe drive wheels 1 is provided with an annular and V- shaped projection1a, for the purpose of forming a furrow in the ground, for the receptionof the seed from the receptacle, as hereinafter referred to.

Secured upon the npperside ofthe U -shaped extension 3 ofthe axle 2 andlongitudinally and centrally of the machine is a tongue 5; said tonguebeing further braced by a bracket composed of side arms 6 joinedtogether at their rear ends by a horizontal cross bar 7, which issecured by bolts S to the underside of the rear end of the tongue, andsaid arms 6 are formed at their front ends, with the inwardly convergingextensions 9 which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured at 10, toopposite sides of the tongue 5, and are also bolted at 1l, to the innersides of the U- shaped extensions 3 of the shaft.

Pivotally mounted between ears or brackets 12, bolted or otherwisesuitably secured upon the upper side of the axle, are the forward endsof a pivotal frame-work, comprising the side arms 18, joined togethernear their forward ends and rear ends by the transversely extending barsle and 15. The rear ends of said arms 13 carry seed receptacles 16 attheir outer ends; these seed receptacles being formed with a hopper 17in their upper ends, and with a depending guide-extension 18; saidextension 1S being composed of side walls which extend downwardly andhave their curved lower edges 19 adapted to rest upon the ground, intheir normal position, and have their rear walls extending downward towithin a suitable distance of the ground, the object of which will behereinafter eX- plained.

Extending transversely of the machine is a shaft 20, which is journaledat its opposite ends in bearings 21 near the upper ends and front edgesof the side walls of the extension 18 of the seed receptacles; saidshaft being also formed with the crank sections 22 near each end, onecrank section being adapted to operate between the side walls of eachextension. A sliding plate 23, is guided by retaining strips or flanges24 secured to the under side of the bottom 25, of the hopper portion ofeach seed receptacles, and is pivotally con- IOO nected by a link bar26, with the adjacent crank section 22 of the shaft 20. The bottom plate25 of the hopper portion of the said receptacles, is formed at asuitable distance apart with holes or openings 27, and the plate 23 inits reciprocation, as hereinafter explained, allows the seed to dropthrough said openings, and is of suiicient length, when at rest to closeboth of said openings and prevent any seed from escaping from thehoppers.

Formed integral or secured to revolve with each of the drive wh eels l,is a sprocket wheel 28, and keyed or otherwise rigidly secured upon theshaft 2O in longitudinal alignment with the sprocket-wheels 28, are thesprocket pinions29 the sprocketwheels28 and sprocket pinions 29 beingconnected by endless sprocket chains 30. It will thus be seen, that theoperation of the sprocket wheel 28 will cause through the medium of thesprocket chain 30 and sprocket pinion 29, the revolution of the crankshaft 20, which will in turn cause the slidable or reciprocatingoperation of the plates 23, and alternately open the holes in the bottomof the hoppers, so that the seed may pass or drop therethrough.

Secured to the rear wall of the extensions 18 and near their lower endis a clod crusher or breaker 31 which is preferably (in rear view) ofapproximately U-shape, and has its forwardly extending and free endssharpened or pointed at 32 as shown, and occupying the spaceimmediatelyin rear of the ends of the side walls of the extension 18, and beneaththe lower end of the rear wall of said extension; the said sharpenedends 32, and also the ends of the side walls of said extension, beingadapted to move on opposite sides of the furrow as hereinafter referredto.

In order that the seed receptacles and clod Crushers or breakers, may beraised from the surface of the ground to clear stumps of trees, stonesand other irregularities in the surface of the ground which would tendto injure such parts of the machine, an approximately L-shaped lever isprovided, said lever having its lower and horizontal arm 33, secured atits rear end to the cross-bar l5 of the pivotal frame-work, and beingsecured near its front end in the cross bar 14, and the upwardlyextending arm 34 which lies closely adjacent to the side of the tongue 5of the machine,

`and is provided with a foot or hand plate 35 upon its upper end,convenient to the driver, who occupies theseat 36, secured upon thespring support 37, which is secured at its lower end by bolts 38 uponthe upper side of the tongue just above the U-shaped extension 3 of theaxle. It will be seen from this description, that the driver by pressinghis foot or hand against the plate 35 causes the frame, pivotallymounted between the ears 12 above the axle, to be elevated as shown indotted lines Fig. 2, and to retain said pivotal frame in such elevatedposition, a rack bar 39 is provided, against the teeth of which thespring arm 34 of the L-shaped lever is adapted to rest; said rack barbeing bolted at its opposite ends or otherwise suitably secured to theside of the tongue.

In the operation of the device, as the machine is pulled over the groundthe V-shaped and annular projection la of each wheel forms a furrow, andupon opposite sides of these furrows, the side walls of the extension 18of the seed receptacles are adapted to travel. As the machine is pulledover the ground, the revoluble movement of the furrow making or drivewheels 1 causes through themediurn of the sprocket wheel 28, sprocketchain 30 and sprocket wheel 29, the revolution of the crank shaft 22,and therefore the reciprocation of the slidable plate 28 as hereinbeforereferred to. This operation allows the seed to drop alternately andtherefore at equal distances apart from the hoppers 17 between the sidewalls of the extension 18 and into the furrow, and the trailing springarms of the clod-crusher attachment, force the earth upon each side ofthe furrow to cover the seed dropped, and also will break or crush anyclods or hard lumps of dirt with which they come in contact. By theoperation of the lever any rocks or such obstacles may be passed by thelifting of the hoppers and clod Crushers or breakers asuitable heightfrom the ground.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have produced acombined stalk cutter, roller and seed planter, which is simple, strong,durable and inexpensive of construction, which is positive and reliablein action, and by which ordinary obstacles such as stones, short treestumps, and such objects may be passed without endangeringtheworkingparts of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a combined roller, stalk cutter and seed planter, the combinationwith an axle and wheels provided with an annular and projecting flangeupon their peripheries, and revolubly mounted upon the ends of saidaxle, and a sprocket wheel carried by one of said wheels, a pivotalframe, a pair of seed receptacles carried bysaid pivotal frame andacrank shaft journaled at its opposite ends to thefrout side of saidseed receptacles, hoppers formed in the upper end of said seedreceptacles having openings formed through their bottom, and a slidableplate supported against the bottom of each hopper and connected bypivotal links with the crank sections of the crank shaft, a sprocketpinion carried by said shaft and a sprocket chain connecting saidsprocket pinion and the sprocket wheel carried by the furrowing drivewheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a combined stalk-cutter,seed-planter and roller, the combinationwith a wheeled frame, and a frame pivoted to the axle thereof andcarrying the seed dropping mechanism, and consisting of side bars 13,and front and IOO rear cross-bars 14 and 15 connecting the side Intestimony wh'ereof afix my signature in bars, and a tonigue carried bythe Wheeled the presence of two witnesses.

frame, of a rac -bar 39 carried by the tongue,

and an L shaped lever, consistingof the arm GEORGE W TUCKER' 33 securedto the bars 14: and 15 and the arm Witnesses:

34 which is adapted to be engaged with the W. MAYNARD,

rack-bar, substantially as set forth. A. P. CROSBY.

